Erin!
Yeah, I agree with Cottage about Phase 1. What your coworker is doing might have worked for losing the weight, but she must not have cravings from sugar and such (that wasn't the reason she was overweight) and the way she's eating isn't getting her healthy.
There's nothing wrong with trying a Phase 1 1/2....some people find that easier to maintain than going to Phase 2. But you need to make sure you are getting good nutrition during that Phase...that you are eating good fruits, good grains, etc. Using the SBD crackers and bars isn't going to give you the nutrition you need...sadly they really aren't aligned with what Dr. A talks about in the book.
I guess his rationale for hooking up with Kraft was that those bars and such could help people who aren't on the plan to get healthier than what they were eating before. I know the nutrition clinic here in town recommends them as the best of the protein bars out there...but those bars can really make you crave more food as it's hard to feel truly satisfied on them.
Anyways, we strongly recommend that you read the book, if you haven't already. On this plan, you really need to understand what the basis of the ideas is so you can make good choices on how to make SBD fit your life.
Of course, we're here to answer any questions you have as you read the book or afterwards.
But definitely don't stay on P1 longer than 2 weeks. If you plan to go off the plan (which is fine) for a specific ocassion or time period, just plan to do P1 again when you're done to detox from the sugar again. With your friend's plan, she'd need to do P1 every week to get rid of cravings...and that's just not healthy. If you want a diet that allows you to have cheat days, you might want to check into the other programs out there.
The 3FC sisters wrote a fantastic book that reviews tons of diets and gives the pros and cons of each. Of course, it'd be great if you think SBD is the right one for you.
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Glad to have you with us...hope that reading the book helps you feel that this is the right plan for you. Like you mentioned, I definitely had an addiction to bread and sweets, but SBD helped me kick it.
Hope it'll do the same for you!
A longer intro!
It's not wise to stay on Phase 1 for a long time, though. Dr. Agaston recommends staying on Phase 1 for no longer than 3 weeks at the max. Your body needs certain complex carbs and nutrients that you aren't getting enough of on Phase 1, and after a while you will most likely stop losing weight. A lot of the gals here (including myself) follow a revised Phase 1, more of a Phase 1 1/2. You have to remember to add your carbs slowly and see how your body adjusts. If you are afraid to start having bread again, try a different starchy grain such as brown rice, oatmeal or whole wheat pasta. I find what works best for me is to have my starchy carb first thing in the morning, that way I can work it off during the rest of the day. And don't forget to try to get in at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day, and drink, drink, drink your water! 
